Plug receptacle with plurality of circuit breakers having two posts each of which passes individually through one of the housing flanges



A nl 18, 1967 B. KLIMAK ETAL 3,315,131 PLUG RECEPTACLE WITH PLURALITY OF CIRCUIT BREAKERS HAVING TWO POSTS EACH OF WHICH PASSES INDIVIDUALLY THROUGH ONE OF THE HOUSING FLANGES Filed Feb. 19, 1965 INVENTOM. 54/[524/1 X J/AMK United States Patent Office 3,315,131 Patented Apr. 18, 1967 PLUG RECEPTACLE WITH PLURALITY OF CIR- CUIT BREAKERS HAVING TWO POSTS EACH OF WHICH PASSES INDIVIDUALLY THROUGH ONE OF THE HOUSING FLANGES Boleslaw Klimak, Des Plaines, and Victor Mastis, Cicero, Ill., assignors to Berg Mfg. & Sales Co., Des Plaines, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Feb. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 434,000 3 Claims. (Cl. 317-99) This invention relates to electrical journal boxes and has particular relation to a unitary connector and circuit breaker assembly.

One purpose of the invention is to accessible circuit breaker assembly.

Another purpose is to provide a circuit breaker and connector assembly wherein individual circuit breakers may be individually replaced with maximum ease.

Another purpose is to provide a connector and circuit breaker assembly of compact structure and minimum spatial installation requirements.

Another purpose is to provide a unitary connector and circuit breaker structure wherein a circuit breaker for each teminal in said connector is provided.

Another purpose is to provide a connector having an escutcheon plate and a plurality of terminals and a circuit breaker for each of said terminals, all of said circuit breakers being positioned within a plane occupied by the connector escutcheon plate.

Another purpose is to provide a connector and circuit breaker assembly of maximum economy in manufacture and use.

Other purposes will appear from time to time during the course of the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation;

FIGURE 2 is a rear end elevation; and

FIGURE 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2.

Like parts are indicated by like numerals throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURE 1, the numeral 1 generally designates a front or escutcheon plate. Pivotally carried, as indicated generally at 2, on the forward surface of plate 1 is a flip cover 3.

As may be seen in FIGURE 3, the escutcheon plate 1 has a central aperture 1a. A forwardly extending circumferential flange or annulus 1b is axially aligned with and has an inner diameter equal to the opening 1a. The flip cover 3 has a rearward extension 3a which substantially surrounds the flange 115 when the cover 3 is in closed position. While the flange 1b is shown as of lesser width at its upper portion than that shown at its lower portion in FIGURE 3, it will be understood that the major segment of flange 1b is of a thickness corresponding to said lower section illustrated in FIGURE 3.

Secured by elongated fasteners, such as the bolts 5, to the rear face of plate 1 is a chamber-forming member 6 formed of insulation material, such as bakelite or the like. As may be best seen in FIGURE 2, there are a plurality of bolts 5, three of said bolts being found satisfactory. The bolts 5 threadably engage suitably aligned and rearwardly open threaded wells 5a in the rear face of plate 1 and aligned with the thicker portions of flange 1b.

The member 6 includes a major central or back wall portion 7 having a forwardly offset peripheral portion or annular flange 8 and a forwardly extending circumferential flange or sleeve 9, the inner diameter of which corresponds to the inner diameter of opening 1a. The

provide a readily sleeve 9 is axially aligned with the opening 1a and flange 1b and together sleeve 9, opening 1a and flange 1b define a terminal chamber A. It will be observed that the annulus 8 is spaced from and has an outer diameter less than the plate 1.

A plurality of individual terminal posts 10 extend into chamber A from the wall 7 and are held in the wall 7 by suitable fasteners such as that shown at 11.

Circumferentially spaced about the area surrounding sleeve 9 and between plate 1 and flange 8 is a plurality of circuit breakers 15 which may be of conventional construction. Since such circuit breakers arethemselves well known to those skilled in the art, no useful purpose is seen in detailed discussion there-of herein. While the number of circuit breakers 15 may vary, it will be observed that the assembly illustrated herein includes seven terminals 10 and six circuit breakers 15.

The peripheral edge of flange 8 is inwardly slotted at a plurality of circumferentially spaced points thereon as indicated at 16. Two of the slots 16 are provided for each of the circuit breakers 15. Each of the circuit breakers 15 has a pair of posts 17, 18 extending from one surface thereof through an aligned slot 16. A connector link 19 is provided for one of the posts of each circuit breaker 15. Each link 19 has one of its end portions secured to one of the posts 17, 18 of a circuit breaker 15 and its opposite end portion secured to a fastener 11 of one of the terminals 10. Since six circuit breakers 15, and thus six links 19, are shown herein, it will be realized that six of the seven terminals 10 are thus connected to an adjacent circuit breaker 15. The .remaining terminal 10, as shown best in FIGURE 2, is connected by a link 20 to a ground. The post of each circuit breaker which is not connected to one of the links 19 extends rearwardly for connection with a suitable electrical conductor or wire.

As may be seen in FIGURE 3, the forwardly offset location of flange 8 provides for positioning of the posts connected with links 19 inside the plane occupied by the rear surface of wall 7. Thus the links 19 have an angularly offset intermediate portion 19a. The posts 17, 18 have fastener elements such as the nuts 17a, 18a provided therewith. Said nuts serve to provide effective corrtact with the links 19 and to retain the circuit breaker against the forward face of flange 8. It will be realized that the slots 16 facilitate slidable placement and removal of circuit breakers 15 between flange 8 and plate 1.

It will be realized that the structure of the invention is positioned by securing the plate 1 to a suitable wall surface having an opening therein sufiicient to receive the member 6. Such wall surface is shown in part at 25 in FIGURE 3. The opening 25a in wall 25 is of suflicient diameter to provide for passage therethrough of flange 8 and yet insuflicient to permit passage therethrough of plate 1 having a large diameter. Since circuit breakers 15 are within the peripheral edge of flange 8, they pass easily through opening 25a. As may be best seen in FIGURE 1, the plate 1 has angularly configured side edges having attaching apertures 10 adjacent its outermost edge for attachment to the wall 25. It will be understood that suitable electrical conduits will have been pulled forwardly through the opening 25a and secured to the posts of the circuit breaker 15 to which the links 19 are not attached. When the structure of the invention was positioned through opening 25a, said conduits were flexed and moved inwardly therethrough.

In use the cover 3 is raised and a suitable female plug (not shown) is inserted in chamber A, the sockets of the female plug engaging the terminals lit, the cover 3 being held open by said female plug.

Should it become necessary to replace the circuit breaker 15, it is only necessary that the operator disconnect the attaching means extending through apertures and slide the structure of the invention forwardly through the opening 25a. Thereafter the operator disconnects the conduit and link 19 (not shown) from the posts of the offending circuit breaker 15, slides said circuit breaker radially outwardly, moving the posts thereof outwardly through the slots 16. A new circuit breaker is then moved into place with its posts moving into the slots 16, the conduit and link 19 are reconnected to the posts of the new circuit breaker and the structure of the invention is replaced through the opening 25a, the plate 1 being resecured to the wall 25.

Whereas there has been shown and described an operative form of the invention, it should be understood that this showing and description are to be taken in an illustrative or diagrammatic sense only. There are many modifications in and to the invention which will be apparent to those skilled in the art and which will fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination an escutcheon plate, a chamberforming member formed of insulated material and secured to a surface of said plate, a plurality of terminals secured to said chamber-forming member and extending into the chamber formed thereby, an annular flange on said chamber-forming member having a diameter less than that of said plate, a plurality of circumferentially spaced outwardly open slots formed in the peripheral edge of said flange, a plurality of circuit breaker members circumferentially positioned about said chamber-forming member, each of said circuit breaker members having at least two posts, each extending individually through one of said slots, said circuit breaker members being positioned between and within the space defined by said flange and plate and link members securing some of said terminals to a corresponding post of said circuit breakers.

2. In combination an escutcheon plate, a chamber-forming member formed of insulated materialand secured to a surface of said plate, a plurality of terminals secured to said chamber-forming member and extending into the chamber formed thereby, an annular flange on said chamber-forming member having a diameter less than that of said plate, a plurality of circumferentially spaced outwardly open slots formed in the peripheral edge of said flange, a plurality of circuit breaker members circumferentially positioned about said chamber-forming member, each of said circuit breaker members having at least two posts, each extending individually through one of said slots, said circuit breakers members being positioned between and Within the space defined by said flange and plate and link members securing some of said terminals to a corresponding post of said circuit breakers, a central aperture in said plate and communicating with the chamber formed by said chamber-forming member and a cover pivotally carried by said plate for overlying relationship with said aperture.

3. In combination an escutcheon plate, a chamberforming member secured to a surface of said plate, a plurality of terminals secured to said chamber-forming member and extending into the chamber formed thereby, an annular flange on said chamber-forming member, a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots formed in said flange, a plurality of circuit breaker members circumferentially positioned about said chamber-forming member, each of sm'd circuit breaker members having at least tWo posts, each extending individually through one of said slots, said circuit breaker members being positioned between and within the space defined by said flange and plate and link members securing some of said terminals to a correponding post of said circuit breakers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,282,967 5/1942 Keefe 200 115.5 2,797,337 6/1957 Hollins 200-1155 3,059,073 10/1962 French 200-51 X 3,270,249 8/1966 Unsworth ZOO-415.5 X

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

H. A. LEWITTER Assistant Examiner. 

3. IN COMBINATION AN ESCUTCHEON PLATE, A CHAMBERFORMING MEMBER SECURED TO A SURFACE OF SAID PLATE, A PLURALITY OF TERMINALS SECURED TO SAID CHAMBER-FORMING MEMBER AND EXTENDING INTO THE CHAMBER FORMED THEREBY, AN ANNULAR FLANGE ON SAID CHAMBER-FORMING MEMBER, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED SLOTS FORMED IN SAID FLANGE, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUIT BREAKER MEMBERS CIRCUMFERENTIALLY POSITIONED ABOUT SAID CHAMBER-FORMING MEMBER, EACH OF SAID CIRCUIT BREAKER MEMBERS HAVING AT LEAST TWO POSTS, EACH EXTENDING INDIVIDUALLY THROUGH ONE OF SAID SLOTS, SAID CIRCUIT BREAKER MEMBERS BEING POSITIONED BETWEEN AND WITHIN THE SPACE DEFINED BY SAID FLANGE AND PLATE AND LINK MEMBERS SECURING SOME OF SAID TERMINALS TO A CORRESPONDING POST OF SAID CIRCUIT BREAKERS. 